Let’s Simplify Food and Wine Pairings

14 Apr Let’s Simplify Food and Wine Pairings

Pairing wines with food correctly, can be quite tricky. It’s important to ensure that the wine you choose as an accompaniment to any dish, doesn’t overwhelm or mask the flavouring of the latter and vice versa.While there are some thumb rules people follow when pairing wines with food, most fine wines have surprising nuances that can make them the perfect complement to dishes from various cuisines. Here is a list of some popular food and wine pairings:

#1 Chardonnay

This wine works very well with any fatty fish or even fish in any rich sauce. For instance, the Chardonnays from Australia, Chile or California are the perfect pairing for any seafood in a rich sauce; they are great with braised/grilled salmon too.

#2 Champagne

It’s perfect with any salty foods. Most sparkling wines such as Spanish cava & brut Champagne have a subtle sweetness in them; it’s exactly this attribute that makes them very refreshing when they are served with certain salty foods like nori salt and udon noodles.

#3 Sauvignon Blanc

This wine works perfectly with sauces and tart dressings. The flavours of wines like Vinho Verde from Portugal, Verdejo from Spain and Sauvignon Blanc don’t get overwhelmed by tangy foods like grapefruit-onion salad and scallops.

#4 Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine works fabulously with red meats. Bordeaux-style blends, California Cabernet, and Bordeaux are perfect accompaniments with chops and steaks that are flavoured with frizzled herbs. These wines have very firm tannins that help refresh the palate in between every bite of meat.

#5 Dry Rosé

It works amazingly well with rich, cheesy dishes. Most wine lovers are aware that certain cheeses pair well with red wines, while others taste better with whites. However, dry rose pairs well with almost all types of cheeses; this is because it has the distinctive fruit character of red wines and the acidic flavour of white wines.

#6 Pinot Grigio

It pairs very well with any light fish dishes. When you match delicate white wines such as Chablis from France, Arneis from Italy and Pinot Grigio, light seafood dishes tend to take on some added flavour.

#7 Moscato d’Asti

This is moderately-sweet sparkling wine that pairs very well with fruit desserts. Asti Spumante and demi-sec Champagne help enhance the fruit flavours in these desserts, rather than their sugar content.

#8 Malbec

This and other wines like Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône are very bold and robust. This makes them ideal for pairing with foods such as chicken legs with heavily-spiced barbecue sauces.

#9 Zinfandel

Tastes great with terrines, mousses and pâtés; these foods and the wine are rich and rustic and they make an excellent pairing. Spain’s Monastrell and Italy’s Nero d’Avola are wines that have very similar notes and characteristics.

#10 Syrah

This wine works great with highly spiced dishes. Cumin-spiced burgers and meats that have been heavily seasoned are perfect pairings for Xinomavro from Greece, Cabernet Franc and Syrah from Washington.

#11 Off-Dry Riesling

Pairs well with sweet as well as spicy dishes; wines like Vouvrays, Gewürztraminers and various Rieslings are perfect for taming the spice and heat of Indian and Asian dishes as well as certain spicy Thai dishes.

#12 Old World Wines

These typically work well with many Old World dishes. Tuscan wines work well with Tuscan dishes, and the medium-bodied Chianti pairs well with dishes like pappardelle with veal ragù.

Learning more about wine pairings will ensure that you are able to relish the flavourings of the wines and the delicious foods you serve at diners and lunches at your home. For information about custom wine cellar design and installation, you can call Signature Cellars on 02 9340 7515 or use this contact form to get in touch with us. We’ll be pleased to assist you and provide custom solutions that match your requirements.

Thanks for reading,
Neil Smallman
Signature Cellars
1300 570 636